BOOK 2. FROM ETERNITY.
CHAPTER 1.
2.1.9. The Covenant.
The Covenant.
The covenant concerning man's salvation, is the last and main particular I instanced in; I dare not be too curious to insist on the order of nature, and the rather, because I believe the covenant betwixt God and Christ from everlasting is interwoven with the decree, foreknowledge and election above. So the apostle tells us, "He hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4. Mark that, in Christ. There was an eternal plot betwixt the Father and the Son; there was a bargain made (I speak it with reverence) betwixt God and Christ, there was a covenant betwixt the Lord and his Son Jesus Christ, for the salvation of the elect; and of this observe we especially these following texts.
In Isaiah xlix. 1,2, 3, 4. The prophet seems to set it dialogue-ways; one expressed! it thus : First, Christ begins, and shows his commission, telling God how he had called him, and fitted him for the work of redemption, and he would know what reward he should have of him for so great an undertaking. "The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name, and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft, in his quiver hath he hid me," Isa. xlix. 1, 2. Upon this God answers him, and tells him what reward he should have for so great an undertaking; only at first he offers low , viz. only the elect people of Israel. And he said unto me, "Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified: Or, Israel, it is in whom I will be glorified by thee," Isa. xlix. 3. Christ who stood now a making his bargain with him, thought these too few, and not worth so great a labour and work, because few of the Jews would come in, but would refuse him, and therefore he says, he should labour in vain, if this were all his recompence, "Then said I, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain," Isa. xlix. 4. And yet withal he tells God, that seeing his heart was so much in saving sinners, he would do it howsoever for these few, comforting himself with this, that his work or his reward was with the Lord. Upon this God comes off more freely, and opens his heart more largely to him, as meaning more amply to content him for his pains in dying. "It is a light thing, that thou shouldest be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel," Isa. xlix. 6. That is not worth the dying for, I value thy sufferings more than so, "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth." Methinks I imagine as if I heard God speak unto Christ from eternity, "See, here I have loved a remnant of mankind both of Jews and Gentiles, with an everlasting love, I know they will sin, and corrupt themselves, and so become enemies to me, and liable unto eternal death; now thou art a mighty person, able to do what I require of thee for them; if thou wilt take upon thee their nature and sins, and undertake to satisfy my justice and law, and take away that hatred that is in them towards me and my law, and make them a believing holy people, then I will pardon them, and adopt them in thee for my sons and daughters, and make them them co-heirs with thee, of an incorruptable crown of life." And then said Christ, "Lo I come, to do thy will O God," Heb. x. 7, 9. Then Christ as it were, struck hands with God, to take upon him the nature and sin of man, and to do and suffer for him whatsoever God required of him. Certainly thus was the whole business of our salvation first transacted betwixt God the Father and Christ, before it was revealed to us. Hence we are said to be given unto Christ. "I have manifested thy name (saith Christ) unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me," John xvii. 6. This very giving implies, as if the Father in his eternity should have to the Son, "These I take to be vessels of mercy, and these thou shalt bring unto me, for they will destroy themselves, but thou shalt save them out of their lost estate." And then the Son takes them at his Father's hand, and looking at his Father's will, "This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing," John vi. 39. He thereupon takes care of each, he would not for a world any of them should be lost, which his Father hath given him, they are more dear than so.
In Isa. liii. 10, 11. and in Psalm xl. 6, 7, 8, Christ is brought in as a surety, offering himself for us and readily accepting of God's will in this very matter: and hence it is, that he is called God's servant, and his ears are said to be opened.
In Isa. xlii. 1, 6. This very covenant is expressly mentioned. Thus God speaks of Christ. "Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth: -- I will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles," Isa. liii. 11. Psalm xl. 6. Yea, this covenant and agreement seems to be confirmed with an oath, in Heb. vii. 28. And for this service Christ is required to "ask of God and he will give him the heathen for his inheritance," Psalm ii. 8. Observe how the church of God is given to Christ, as a reward of that obedience which he showed in accepting of the office of a surety for us. This stipulation some make to be that counsel of peace spoken of by the prophet, "And the counsel of peace shall be betwixt them both," Zech. vi. 13. (i.e.) between the Lord, "and the man whose name is the Branch," verse 12. And for this agreement it is that Christ is called the second Adam; for, as with the first Adam God plighted a covenant concerning him and his posterity, so also he did indent with Christ and his seed concerning eternal life to be obtained by him. I deny not but that some promises wore made only to Christ in his own person, and not to descend to his children, as "Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool," Heb. i. 13. "And he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand," Isa. liii. 10. "And ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" Psalm ii. 8. But there are other promises made to him and his; as that grand promise, "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son," Heb. i. 5. Jer. xxxii. 38. It is first made to him, and then to us; and that special promise of spiritual grace, John i. 16. of justification, Isa. 1. 8. of victory and dominion. Psalm cx. 2. of the kingdom of glory, Luke xxiv. 26 . They are every one first made to him, and then to us: -- The business from eternity lay thus, "Here is man lost (said God to his Son, but thou shalt in the fulness of time go and be born of flesh and blood, and die for them, and satisfy my justice, and they shall be thine for a portion, and they shall be called, the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, Isa. lxii. 12. This shalt thou do (said the Father) and upon these terms they shall live that believe." This was God's covenant with the Son of his love for us; to whom the Son answered (as it were) again, "Content, Father, I will go and fulfil thy pleasure, and they shall be mine forever; I will in the fulness of time die for them, and they shall live in me;" Burnt-offerings, and sin offerings, thou hast not required, (no it was self-offering) then said I, "Lo, I come, in the volume of thy book, it is written of me, to do thy will, O my God," Psal. xl. 6, 7, In what book was it written, that Christ should come to do the will of God? Not only in the book of the law and the prophets, but also in the book of God's decrees. In this sense, "The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world," Rev. xiii. 8. His Father from before all time, appointed him to be our high priest, and he from all eternity subscribed to his Father's pleasure in it.
In Gal. iii. 15. "Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulled! or addeth thereto," verse 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as of many: but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. There is a question whether this covenant here mentioned, was made only betwixt God and Christ, or only betwixt God and us, or both betwixt God and Christ, and betwixt God and us. The occasion of this question is in these words, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made." He saith not And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.
1. Some argue hence, that there is no covenant or promise made to us, but only to Christ, or with Christ, Christ stood for us, and articled with God for us, and performed the conditions for life and glory; so that the promises are made all to him; yet this indeed is confessed, that because we are Christ's, and are concerned in the covenant, it is therefore sometimes called a covenant made with us; "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah," Jer. xxxi. 31. Not that the covenant, is really made with us, but only with Christ for us, and when we feel ourselves under the power of the promise, we begin then to know, that we are in that same covenant. But this is rather (say they) to feel ourselves in that covenant which God hath made with Christ, than to enter into covenant with God ourselves.
2. Others argue hence that there is no covenant or promise made with Christ personal, but only with Christ mystical, such who are members of Christ, and so united to Christ, for mark the text (say they) "The promise is made first to Abraham, and then to his seed:" This seed is such a seed as comes to have a right to the promise in order from Abraham; now this cannot be Christ personal, but Christ mystical. And whereas the text says, "The promise is not made to seeds, but to one seed, which is Christ." They distinguish of a double seed of Abraham; first there is a carnal natural seed, according to the flesh, and in this sense Christ speaks to those wicked unbelieving Jews which went about to kill him, "I know ye are Abraham's seed, but ye seek to kill me," John viii. 37. Secondly, There is a spiritual seed, that walk in the faith and steps of Abraham, "Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." And, "if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Now, the promise is made to Abraham and his seed, not seeds," i.e. not to both seeds, but carnal and spiritual; but only to the one, which is the spiritual; and this seed is Christ, i.e. Christ mystical, the body of Christ, the faithful that are knit to Christ by a true and lively faith.
3. Others argue hence, that this covenant is made both betwixt God and Christ, and betwixt God and us; first, betwixt God and Christ; all the work of redemption and salvation was transacted betwixt God and Christ before the foundation of the world; but this doth not hinder but that the same promise is afterwards in time made to us also: Look, as it is in covenants amongst men, while the child is yet unborn, the father takes conveyance of an inheritance for his child, which he keeps in his own hand till the child be born and come to years, and then he puts it into his own possession; so it is here, we are for a time hid in the womb of God's election, till we are brought forth by the grace of regeneration; now during this time we are not in ourselves capable of receiving any promise of life made to us; but it is made to Christ in our behalf, and he receives the promise from the Father in our stead: but yet so that when we come to be born anew , the promises are made unto ourselves, and then we are put into possession of them.
Here then is the meaning of the text, "The covenant is made with Christ," (i.e.) with Christ and his heirs; principally with Christ, and with Abraham's nature in Christ, and yet personally with believers, who are also the seed of Abraham. All the difference is in that term Christ, What thereby is meant, whether Christ personal, or Christ mystical, or Christ representative? And we say, --
1. Not Christ personal, I mean not Christ's person singly considered; for that,
(a). Would fight with the scope of Paul, whose bent it is to prove the promise of eternal life to be made to all believers, And that,
(b). Would conclude the promise of eternal life to be given only to Christ and not at all to those that are believers in Christ.
2. Not Christ mystical, for,
(a). The promise is made to Christ. "In whom the covenant is confirmed," Gal. iii. verse 17.
(b). "In whom the nations, were blessed," Gal. iii. verse 8.
(c). "In whom we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith," Gal. iii. verse 14.
(d). "Who was made a curse for us," Gal. iii. verse 13.
Now not any of these can agree to Christ mystical: Christ mystical did not confirm the covenant, nor bless the nations, nor give the Spirit, nor was made a curse.
3. It is Christ representative, Christ mediator, Christ a public person, to whom the promises are made, for Christ and his heirs are but all of them one confederate family: and as the covenant of works was made with Adam, and all his; and there were not two covenants; so here the covenant is made with the second Adam and his children, "But every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits, and afterwards they that are Christ's," 1 Cor. xv. 23.
I have now propounded the object we are to look unto: it is Jesus in that eternity before all time until the creation; our next business is to direct us in the art or mystery of grace, how we are to look unto him in this respect.